If you’re not doing very much else on 15th July 2009, why not take a look at the Shell Dialogue, asking the question : “can technology reduce Carbon Dioxide emissions ?”.
https://www.shelldialogues.com
https://www.shelldialogues.com/technologiesforco2
You can submit your questions in person to Jan van der Eijk, the Chief Technology Officer at Shell.
Judging by the graphical design of the “logo” people, there is a distinct possibility that it could be a bit of a “cartoon” moment.
However, it does coincides nicely with the (projected) Renewable Energy release from Ed Miliband’s Department of Energy and Climate Change, so it might be worth a look just to see what people are asking of Shell :-
https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6695574.ece
“From The Times : July 13, 2009 : Number of wind turbines to quadruple under Renewable Energy Strategy : Ben Webster, Environment Editor : The number of wind turbines is set to quadruple over the next decade under government plans to force through wind farm planning applications. Ministers have put wind power at the heart of a Renewable Energy Strategy, which is due to be released on Wednesday. It will outline how Britain is to meet its target of a 34 per cent cut in CO2 emissions by 2020…”
https://newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=2805§ion=Policy
“DECC briefs industry on imminent Renewable Energy Strategy : 08-07-09 : DECC briefs industry on imminent Renewable Energy Strategy The government is set to take a more proactive role with planning for onshore wind and other renewables in the UK : The strategy that will set out how the UK plans to meet its renewable energy targets will see government taking a more proactive role over crucial issues including grid and planning, a senior DECC official said today (July 7). Speaking at the Renewables 2009 conference in London, acting head of renewables, Chris Barton, said the government recognised that, instead of waiting for the renewables industry to begin generating, it must take a more pre-emptive role with planning, the supply chain and transmission issues. The new approach will be reflected in the Renewable Energy Strategy (RES), due to be published this summer, which will outline how the government will meet its targets of generating 15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020. Some in the sector have claimed the Strategy will be published next week, DECC has not confirmed an exact date.”
The Climate Change Committee, the reputedly independent body tasked with making sure the UK Government responds to the Climate Change Act, should be reporting on 16th July 2009 :-
https://www.theccc.org.uk/reports/ccc-annual-reports
“Annual Reports : The CCC became an independent NDPB on 26 November, 2008. Our first Annual report for 2008/09, which will include our corporate business priorities, our commitment to sustainability and our financial accounts will be published here on 16 July 2009.”
How has the British ruling body fared ? That is a moot question, much more relevant than an online question and answer session with a graphically-challenged Petroleum-based company.
Remember, in all of this fancy online engagement, that Shell is, at heart, a mining and extraction company, and forever will be, and their plan is to drill, baby, drill :-
“Royal Dutch Shell drills ahead even with future uncertainty about crude oil prices : July 13, 2009 : The Rigzone Newsletter for July 10 reported on Royal Dutch Shell’s offshore drilling plans for the next few years. Even with relatively low crude oil prices, RDS intends to maintain a strategy which includes upstream development. But the company has reduced activity slightly to overcome increasing costs. Production is expected to increase by 2 to 3% annually for the next three years. In 2008, RDS added 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent by drilling and is currently in the process of bringing three deep water fields on line including one in Brazil, one in Malaysia and one in the Gulf of Mexico. The company is running 22 offshore rigs worldwide…”
And despite their apparent eagerness to communicate with the rest of Society, they have a record of not really listening :-
https://www.blindspot.org.uk/shelldialogues.html
“…Shell believes that they are “really serious and proactive on CO2″. However they also appear to promote solutions which are mired in problems and to ignore solutions which may bypass those problems. Oil businesses benefit from the lack of effective global policies for climate change so any mishandling of the debate about policies risks being seen as a ploy to put profit ahead of survival. BlindSpot respectfully invites Shell to try again to answer the question, as they promised to do…”
Is Shell playing a public relations game ?
Of course technology can reduce Carbon Dioxide emissions, but halting Fossil Fuel extraction from the Earth would do a much more effective job.